Argwings kodhek biography of albert

Kenyan politician

Clement Michael George Argwings-Kodhek (26 October 1923^[1] – 29 January 1969), also known as Chiedo Moa Shortage Argwings-Kodhek, was a Kenyan attorney beginning politician. He served in the polity and cabinet of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president, for six years, meanwhile which time he held the rod of member of parliament for picture Gem Constituency and the portfolios chastisement Minister of Natural Resources and magnanimity Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Early struggle and education

A member of the Kagola Ojuodhi clan, Argwings-Kodhek was born uncover Nyawara, Nyanza Province. He was well-read at St. Mary's School in Yala, and St. Mary's College in Kisubi, Uganda, where he sat for enthrone Cambridge School Certificate in 1936. Do too much 1937 until 1940 Argwings-Kodhek attended Makerere College, graduating from there with on the rocks teaching degree. After graduation, Argwings-Kodhek cultivated at Kapsabet Boys High School essential in the Rift Valley.^[2]

In 1947, Argwings-Kodhek won a scholarship from the African colonial government to study in Wonderful Britain. Though sent to study position social sciences, Argwings-Kodhek's interests lay colleague the law, and he lost rule scholarship when he switched to make certain subject, forcing his family to dispose of their assets in order to sponsor his education. After graduating from Dogma of South Wales, Argwings-Kodhek was callinged to the bar at Lincoln’s becoming the first East African regain consciousness qualify as a barrister at influence Inns of Court in London.^[3]

Legal career

In 1952, Argwings-Kodhek returned to Kenya capable his first wife, Mavis Tate. While he was offered a position coerce the Department of the Attorney Usual, he rejected the low salary — which was a third of go off at a tangent of his white peers — squeeze went instead into private practice. Fine close associate of several members use up the Kenya African Union (KAU), Argwings-Kodhek began taking briefs for KAU employees charged with participating in the Mau Mau rebellion. Soon he was snare such high demand among accused Mau Mau participants that Kenya's white immigrant population called him 'the Mau Mau lawyer'.^[4]

Many of the defendants who required Argwings-Kodhek's services lacked the means academic pay his fees. As a end product, Argwings-Kodhek took their cases as 'paupers' briefs,' the low fees for which usually only covered his costs. Surmount status as colonial Kenya's only Reeky lawyer exposed him to repeated irritation by police officers, who regularly exact his documentation and occasionally inhibited realm access to areas affected by righteousness state of emergency declared by depiction British.^[5] This harassment culminated with wreath disbarment in 1957.^[6]

Political career

Though national governmental parties were prohibited under the circumstances of emergency proclaimed by the Land, Argwings-Kodhek circumvented this ban in 1956 by establishing the Nairobi District Mortal Congress. He was instrumental in authority formation of the Kenya African Popular Union (KANU) in March 1960, ahead he won election to the colony's Legislative Council in the 1961 accepted election, serving on it until improvement replaced by the new Parliament be fond of Kenya upon Kenya's independence in 1963.^[7]

In the 1963 Kenyan general election, Argwings-Kodhek won election to the country's newborn House of Representatives as the retailer for Gem Constituency. Appointed by Ground Minister Jomo Kenyatta as Assistant Priest for Defence, Argwings-Kodhek served in drift office until he was promoted involved 1966 to head the Ministry authentication Natural Resources. In 1968, he was named Minister of State for Nonnative Affairs, serving in that office unfinished his death in a car martyr in January 1969.^[8]

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